Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has dragged the Department of State Services (DSS) to court over what he calls “unconstitutional censorship” of his social media accounts.
Sowore’s suit, filed through his lawyer Tope Temokun at the Federal High Court in Abuja, came hours after the Federal Government charged him for describing President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in a social media post.
In his filing, Sowore asked the court to restrain the DSS from directing global platforms like Meta and X (formerly Twitter) to delete his posts or suspend his accounts.
Temokun described the DSS clampdown as an attack on Nigeria’s democracy.
“If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe. This is about the survival of free speech,” he said.
The lawyer also warned that censorship of political criticism was unconstitutional under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
He added that Meta and X must resist being used as tools of repression, stressing that “when they bow to unlawful censorship demands, they become complicit in suppressing liberty.”
Background: FG Files Cybercrime Charges Against Sowore
Earlier on Tuesday, the Federal Government, acting on DSS advice, filed a five-count charge against Sowore under the Cybercrimes Amendment Act 2024 and the Criminal Code.
The charges stemmed from Sowore’s August 25 post accusing Tinubu of lying about ending corruption during his visit to Brazil. The government said the remarks were “false, malicious, and inciting.”
Despite the pressure, Sowore has vowed not to delete his posts, insisting that calling out government leaders is his duty as a citizen and activist.
